A New Start
by OutsiderDirectioner
Summary: "Hello is this the home of Mr. & Mrs. Curtis?" "Yes, I am their Oldest Darrel Jr. Is there a problem officer?" A grim look came across the other officer's face. "I'm afraid there has been an accident... Mr. & Mrs. Curtis did not survive."
1. Chapter 1

"Darry, you're in charge of your brother's tonight while your father and I go out for supper." My Mom said sticking her head in my room.

When I look up I grin at my mom. She is in a stunning purple dress and has her hair done nicely. "Wow Mom, you look really nice." I get up and hug her and she gives me a peck on the cheek.

"Thank you, Darry. Now did you hear what I said?"

"Yes mom, watch Soda and Pony while you're out to supper."

She gives me a grin like Soda has. "Now, Supper is in the fridge so you don't have to worry about cooking. Soda is still grounded and Pony is also grounded for tonight because he brought home a B- so don't let either of them out. The boys can come over, just don't be rough AND No Parties" She kissed me on the cheek before leaving my room to say goodbye to my brothers.

I went back to my bed and opened my textbook before closing it again. It was a Friday night and I was studying? No way. I was going to crack open a beer and relax for a little while.

I headed into the living room to see my parents and Soda missing. Ponyboy, who is fourteen was spawned across the couch some book I haven't hear of in his hand.

"Mom and Dad are gone?"

"Yeah" He said right glumly without taking his eyes off the book.

"Where's Soda?"

"Dunno" He shrugs his shoulders and I sigh, I will deal with him later, Right now my oldest younger brother was MIA.

I check the kitchen first then the bathroom before deciding to check his room. As expected it was empty with the window open.

"Damn it Soda, can't you listen to someone for once in your life." I mumble to myself before running out the door, shouting a quick "You better stay here!" to Ponyboy.

"Running down the road, I see two figures in the dim streetlight laughing.

Soda and Steve Randal, his best friend.

When I finally caught up, Soda's face goes pale. "Hiya Darry."

"Sods what in the world are you doing out here!" I usually don't get angry but I was only in charge five minutes before he ran off.

"Mom said I could go out!"

I raise my eyebrow. So, that's the game he's going to play? "Oh yeah? So, that's why you climbed out your window?"

"I went through the front door! Ask Pony!"

"Why was your window open?"

"I was... Cold." He finished lamely.

Knowing I won I hummed. "You are going home and you are not going out of the house the rest of the night, mom's rules. Steve, you can come over if you want." I nodded at him.

"Yes, sure." he grinned punching a sour Soda in the arm. "We still need a rematch on the card game anyways since you cheated." He directed at Soda grabbing his head in a headlock. "Say, Uncle!" He screamed as Soda laughed.

"Enough you two, leave it for the house." I try and say sternly but end up cracking up laughing when Soda also flipped Steve. "Come on idiots, head to the house, I'm going to head towards the lot to see if Johnny's there, maybe he can get Pony out of his mood." I pushed them towards the way of the house. Before I could say Bye, both were racing to get to the house first.

At the lot, I found Johnny lying down on the bench with a newspaper over him.

"Come on Johnny, you're not staying here. Mom would have a fit if she knew." I lightly shake him and he jumps.

"Darry?" He yawns.

"It's me, come on kid. How come your sleeping at Seven PM?" He shrugs and I sigh taking his face. He has a brand-new bruise. 'Hopefully not a concussion too, I will get mom to check Johnny when she gets home' I mumble to myself and help him walk the short distance to my house.

Mickey Mouse is blasting thanks to Two-bit when Johnny and I get to the house, Steve and Soda are wrestling, and Pony is still nose deep in a book. "Hey Pony! Look who came to visit since you're grounded." I screamed over the noise and he gave a small grin.

Just then the door knocks and everyone goes quiet. No one ever knocks.

Signaling Two-bit to turn down the noise I go towards the door being the oldest. Peering out I see two police officers before answering the door.

"Hello, Officers?" I say more as a question.

"Hello is this the home of Mr. & Mrs. Curtis?"

"Yes, I am their Oldest Darrel Jr. Is there a problem officer?"

A grim look came across the other officer's face. "I'm afraid there has been an accident... Mr. & Mrs. Curtis did not survive."


	2. Chapter 2

p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="f467a0275667d3b8abec1b6d4ee27302""Dead?" I felt sick to my stomach. There was a cry from the background and I knew my brothers heard. Dead. Dead. My parents are dead. I must stay strong for my brothers./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="3237a2d3b68f9512efc25f1527e4e8f7""We are sorry but we need you to come down to the Morgue and identified the bodies when you are ready. Have a good day." And with that they left me standing in the doorway alone. 'Have a good day?' what kind of sick joke is that? My parents are dead./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="07e388365b0b59e6cc83a990eec1f8ef"Dead. Dead. My parents are dead./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="4230f3d03ddf857d0db0232bc13e99cd""Dar-Darry? Is it true?" I turned around to see my youngest brother in front of me, tears streaming down his face./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="d9df344db9634a42b06563516aa18adf"Stay Strong for your brothers./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="bdc72208efab6ceb1b8af59cecfd9a11"I closed the door and instantly pulled him a hug. He's 14. He's parentless. He's an orphan. We all are./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="8940fffff3a17865010f1b6c9aa5ef23"I felt another pair of arms around us. Soda. I felt his tears soak my shirt./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="780b92b774a7ac5957261330455ebba7""It's going to be okay guys, we'll figure this out." I mumbled to both my brothers not breaking the hug. Not crying. I need to stay strong for all of us./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="bb59e7366288436dc9d0be442bdb32c6"I look up at the gang in the living room. No one moves an inch. No one knows what to do. My parents were just as much as their parents as theirs./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="0af8790a86083f17819de0adecc8fd5d"Were. Past tense./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="dcd4c4532fa8c90febceeb6e3464f3fa"We stood there a good 10 minutes before I broke the hug. I should get this over with. I must go see my dead parents. In a morgue./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="3e169f9a95f71e77c933c242f1ad1a17""Guys, I have to go..." There a pain in their face./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="394a385f6f571e9a17a121eb18619765""Darry, let me go too, please." Soda pleads with me and Pony starts after with a "Me too!"/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="39b2a2fb8e863478346a01e9c8f6e657"I don't want them to go. Heck, I shouldn't be going. Dead. Dead. My parents are dead./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="99a12ec056dba610957571bbdf7e6bad""Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="b9dd7e29ba309696023869b7fbb17a58"I looked at the guys. Two-bit gave a pained smile. "We'll man the fort while you're gone."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="1611486ae8a8a44360f067a656b65b5c"I nod and usher my brothers out the door./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="82f0f5b9a9838236e53a94ea7b9e053c"The car ride was horribly slow. My brothers didn't say anything but they weren't crying anymore either. Not till we passed the accident./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="e332e5e4a4c8715296037f5e0d7a6645"If I knew if we were going to pass the scene, I would never have let them go. The front of my mom's car was smashed in and the windows broke out. It was a horrible sight./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="08665c21e1a32986b1ca8d6a897444d2"Pony, who was in the middle of Soda and I saw it first. His voice broken in a sob and I turned to look at it./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="e199f2730fc22e355b7fe02f10ea8157""Pony, Soda, close your eyes, you don't want to see this..." I sighed as we got close./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="b75a78059c921ca5559064fbf6b2bbb5"Soda closed his eyes, Pony opted into pulling his face into Soda's chest. Tears pricked in my own eyes./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="aa5636f347d63287c1bd60ddd859c151"Stay strong for your brothers. Stay strong for your brothers./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="942bf6ceb6df4558336f095fcad6d342"Soon after we got to the morgue. "Guys, Stay here. I wouldn't be long." I turned off my truck engine and stepped out. Soda was going to protest but I closed the door shut before he could./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="4cf6ce8397f43748e709f916b71df923"The Morgue was nothing special. Just somewhere with four wall and dead bodies./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="b64dfc68872db9f79572ac4b29974606"My parent's dead bodies./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="935c2b20013c121dd857b74cdb0c161f"I identified the bodies and talked to the police officers about what happened and what to do next./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="ef2cb8dfb6ca077081626e0c72d62998"Apparently, I have a few days to choose if I wanted to keep my brothers or ship them off to the boy's home. I knew I wanted to try and keep my brothers but I have no idea how to raise two teenagers and I would have to give up my college scholarship. I told them I would think about it. I also had to come back in a few days and talk about funeral arrangements./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="bd39981f8a5b2d5336b0a3b553c8784e"As I went to step out of the room my parents were in, two familiar faces walked in. Soda and Pony./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="7ee0bf9b49821fcd7521093d1dacc9f9"I turned stern. "Sodapop and Ponyboy, I told you to stay in the car. I don't want you in here!" Soda bit his lip and Pony flinched./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="b54f2e77c0d478fa51ca1a7df66c0ce2""I...we... just want to make sure it's them..." Pony said in a whisper. I sighed./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="ab6f96e3c4c6730817f32868e4a5f9bc""It's them Pone, I don't think you should see them right now." I see him peering around me where they were still uncovered./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="f4e600628b708e919e76e5ddacf7d967"He breaks into a sob and Soda just stands there. I look at the police officer not knowing what to do and he shrugs. What am I supposed to do?/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="ef7684bf8a9ac7957d81d1a8f898c26b"I sigh for what it feels like the 60th time that day. "Come on boys, let's go home..." I take their shoulders and usher them out the room, glancing at my parents one last time./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="a92fa935bcbec106aad79c399028c676"Stay strong for your brothers./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="c14f1ccc7036bc70ec3ba494c86d12fa"I go to sign out, sending the boys out before me when the officer that was in the room with us comes out. "I've seen people do this so many times and I can tell you boys that you will be just fine, you're doing a great job already Darrel. You can do this." And with that he was gone./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="fc6074ec5b035143d0073433c0ed6f88"I take a different route home, to exhausted with emotions. I just want to go home and go to bed. My brothers are curled up practically on each other asleep./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="bb01d15e5b10b6533d52d879aa3e6509"When I get home, I don't want to wake my brothers but I should get them inside. Soda is cranky from being woke up. Ponyboy is too tired to do anything that I carry him in, Soda is slummed against my side so much that I must support him as well going inside/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="d49514f8408c28a3365c074889bd41ce"Opening the door, it's quiet. The usual loud house is so quiet, you could hear a pen drop. I do notice that there is mattress from Soda and Ponyboy's bedrooms on the floor and the boys are sat around them./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="bae40da3c965daa6fb1199e89dae67e1""Hey, how was it?" Two-bit came up to us whispering, Steve following behind. Steve pulls Soda from me and goes and lies him on the mattress and lies down next to him comforting him./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="4c76e39ee3caeae1613bac00a85b8ccc""Horrible, I told the guys to stay in the car and they didn't listen and saw them. We also passed the accident." I say passing a curled up Pony to Two-bit who brings him to the other mattress. Johnny slips next to him to lie down./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="69eadb8f963cd978b8b84cb94e85ac33""What's this?" I say motioning to the new living room set up. "Figured the boys might not want to be alone tonight so we thought about having a slumber party in the living room, you can sleep in your room if you want or the chair." Two-bit whispered back./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="0e0111d900866c0bfb9c655d1bdc4121"The chair. My dad's chair./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="de37e3aa150232fbc46bef2314ed2054""I'll sleep in the chair." I sink into it and take in the scent. It still smells like him./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="62c3bc76ddc319db02320506bedf6caf"Two-bit smiles and drops on the couch above the boy's head before speaking again. "Dally was here, he got upset when we told him where you boys were. Ran off, probably won't see him for a while." A grim look. I probably will see a lot of those for the next few months./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="11101359d068baaa8f11eddc16310dbe""Let's talk about this in the morning Two-bit." I say tired. "I have a feeling we are gonna need as much sleep we can get."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="1408e4cdf26102fa58521f26a0ecdf6f"And boy, was I right./p 


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